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Forecaster Amy Hodgson, of The Weather Channel, said the deluge is set to last for much of Wednesday with the warning in place until late tonight.

More than half of August’s monthly rainfall total of 69mm is predicted to fall within a few hours. The downpours are being dragged towards Britain on a series of fronts caused by low pressure centred near Scandinavia.

She said: “The precipitation rate will be mostly moderate, but locally heavier, up to 3mm per hour.

“The rain will be heaviest in the south-east of England and East Anglia, where localised flooding is possible.

“By this evening, the rain will have cleared most of the country, affecting just the south-east through the night and clearing Kent during Thursday morning.

The Met Office warned that some transport routes may be affected by localised flooding leading to longer journey times.

It will be dry and clear elsewhere before a dry and bright day on Thursday for much of the British isles.

A ridge of high pressure will entice a brief spell of settled weather towards the UK before another cold front takes charge for the weekend.​